A Real Fight.
"Can't I get the raccoon back?"
Jinwoo muttered under his breath, staring up at the towering man chugging a bottle of soju like some overworked office worker on payday.
The guy wiped his mouth, let out a loud belch, and cracked his neck. Broad shoulders, fists like sledgehammers, half his face swallowed by the streetlight's shadow — he looked less like a man, more like a walking truck.
> [New Quest: Slap the Threat.]
[Penalty: Death]
[Reward: +500 EXP, +1 Skill Unlock]
Jinwoo's throat went dry.
"Oh, come on! I just leveled up!"
The drunk swayed, eyes narrowing. "Hey, kid… you lookin' at me funny?"
Jinwoo took a nervous half-step back. "Uh, no, sir. Just… admiring your, uh… drinking technique?"
The man cracked his knuckles — sharp, bone-snapping pops. Jinwoo flinched.
"How about we just… talk this out?" Jinwoo offered weakly.
> [Warning: Incoming Attack]
The fist came too fast. Jinwoo barely saw the blur before it crashed into his jaw, snapping his head sideways. He slammed into the wall of aisle 2 — shelves rattling, ribs screaming, brain fuzzing with pain.
His back ached. His jaw throbbed. His legs, already shaky from running all evening, nearly gave out.
The drunk lumbered forward, grin stretching. Jinwoo struggled upright, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Okay… maybe I deserved that. Should've dodged instead of monologuing…"
> [HP: 49/100]
Clenching his fists, Jinwoo hissed, "Alright, system… let's go—"
But the man lunged again. Jinwoo ducked, feeling the wind rush past his ear. On sheer instinct, he swung back — his fist thudded into the man's side.
> [Hit Registered!] [+1 Martial Arts Proficiency!] [+10 EXP]
Jinwoo's eyes widened.
"Wait… that worked?!"
The man turned slowly, unimpressed.
"Ah," Jinwoo breathed, realization sinking in.
"That was like punching a brick wall."
A fist crashed into his stomach. Air blasted from his lungs. Jinwoo crumpled.
> [HP: 20/100]
The drunk snorted. "Tch. Dumb kid." He gave Jinwoo one last glance before staggering into the night.
> [Quest Completed: Hit Registered.]
[Congratulations! You have gained a new skill!]
[Would you like to accept it?] [Y/N]
Flat on the pavement, Jinwoo groaned, one eye barely open as the glowing blue screen hovered patiently above him.
"Seriously… now?" he rasped, coughing. His ribs felt like fire.
With trembling fingers, he tapped [Y].
> [New Skill Acquired: Counterstrike Lv.1]
A skill born from desperation: Increases damage when retaliating right after being hit. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Blinking blearily, Jinwoo let out a ragged laugh.
"Hah… figures. I get a revenge skill after I'm already flattened…"
He lay there a moment, staring at the flickering store ceiling, the world blurring at the edges from pain and exhaustion.
> [HP Low. Recommend Rest.]
"No kidding," he muttered.
---
A few days later
Jinwoo woke up on his bed, covered in bandages. His first thought: I'm screwed for the hospital bill.
He remembered the doctor nagging him not to get into fights — but something was still burning in his chest. Anger?
Wincing as his ribs protested, Jinwoo sat up. His tiny one-room apartment was neat but cramped: a wooden desk under the window, littered with old receipts and a cracked phone charger; a narrow mirror, slightly tilted on the wall; a plain wardrobe, one door hanging open; a tiny metal sink dripping into a chipped basin.
He let out a long sigh.
"Home sweet home…"
In the mirror, his reflection stared back — pale skin, messy hair, bandaged chest, and trembling fingers clenched into a fist.
"I can't stay weak forever," he whispered. "If I awakened… then I need to use it."
---
"What was it again?… Window?"
A soft chime echoed in his room as a translucent blue screen flickered to life.
> [Player Status Window]
Name: Park Jinwoo
Age: 19
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Title: Loser
Level: 2
EXP: 305/500
Class: [Pending]
Job: Cashier
HP: 97/100
MP: 30/30
Strength: 6
Agility: 12
Stamina: 10
Intelligence: 18
Luck: 1
Charisma: 2
[Abilities+ tap to expand]
Jinwoo squinted.
"So… this class thing?"
He tapped [Class]. The screen glitched, flickered, then reshaped into a list:
---
> Choose Your Class:
1. Brawler — A frontline fighter who relies on fists, speed, and brute force.
2. Mage — A wielder of arcane magic, harnessing destructive or supportive spells.
3. Rogue — A swift assassin, master of stealth, speed, and critical strikes.
4. Tank — A human shield, built for absorbing massive damage.
5. Healer — A support class, capable of restoring health and cleansing debuffs.
6. Summoner — A rare class that commands creatures or spirits.
> [Warning: Once chosen, your class cannot be changed.]
---
Jinwoo whistled softly.
"Alright… no pressure, huh?"
He flopped back onto his bed, eyes scanning the options.
Brawler — tempting, but brute force hadn't exactly worked for him so far.
Mage — his Intelligence stat was higher than his Strength…
Rogue — matched his Agility, but… did he really want to be the sneaky, stabby guy?
Summoner — his heart gave a weird little jolt at that one.
"Summoner, huh…" he murmured.
Pause.
"Nope! Mage it is!" Jinwoo slapped the Mage option.
The screen flared blindingly bright.
"Agh! My eyes!"
> [Class Selected: Mage.]
[Congratulations! You have become a wielder of arcane power.]
[Skill unlocked: Mana Sense Lv.1 — Detect nearby mana sources.]
[Skill unlocked: Mana Control Lv.1 — Control basic mana flow.]
[+5 Intelligence, +3 MP]
Jinwoo rubbed his eyes.
"System nearly blinded me…"
Pulling the blanket tighter, he focused on the strange warmth flickering inside.
"Mana Control…" he whispered, raising his hand.
Nothing happened at first — just the faucet's dripping and the ceiling light's faint hum.
Then — warmth.
A thin thread of heat curled up his arm, tingling at his fingertips. Blue light shimmered faintly in his palm.
> [Mana Control Activated.]
Heart pounding, Jinwoo instinctively pressed his hand to his aching ribs.
"Heal, heal, heal—please…"
The glow pulsed softly, seeping into his skin. No dramatic holy chant — just a subtle warmth.
> [HP Restored: +15.]
Jinwoo gasped.
"Wait… it worked?!"
Drawing more light, he watched as his aches dulled, the pounding in his head eased, and the tightness in his shoulders softened.
> [HP: 87/100 → 100/100.]
"...Holy shit…" Jinwoo whispered, a shaky grin spreading.
---
For a long moment, he just lay there, feeling the faint buzz of magic under his skin.
Then his gaze flicked back to the screen.
Level 3. Still pitifully low.
A quiet determination burned in his chest.
There's only one way to level up…
"...Dungeons."
---
To be continued.....